diff --git a/Tusker.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/Tusker.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 34943712..5aafa842 100644
--- a/Tusker.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/Tusker.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@
 		D62D2422217AA7E1005076CC /* UserActivityManager.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D62D2421217AA7E1005076CC /* UserActivityManager.swift */; };
 		D62D2424217ABF3F005076CC /* NSUserActivity+Extensions.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D62D2423217ABF3F005076CC /* NSUserActivity+Extensions.swift */; };
 		D62D2426217ABF63005076CC /* UserActivityType.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D62D2425217ABF63005076CC /* UserActivityType.swift */; };
+		D62E9985279CA23900C26176 /* URLSession+Development.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D62E9984279CA23900C26176 /* URLSession+Development.swift */; };
 		D62FF04823D7CDD700909D6E /* AttributedStringHelperTests.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D62FF04723D7CDD700909D6E /* AttributedStringHelperTests.swift */; };
 		D6311C5025B3765B00B27539 /* ImageDataCache.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D6311C4F25B3765B00B27539 /* ImageDataCache.swift */; };
 		D6333B372137838300CE884A /* AttributedString+Helpers.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D6333B362137838300CE884A /* AttributedString+Helpers.swift */; };
@@ -521,6 +522,7 @@
 		D62D2421217AA7E1005076CC /* UserActivityManager.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = UserActivityManager.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D62D2423217ABF3F005076CC /* NSUserActivity+Extensions.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = "NSUserActivity+Extensions.swift"; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D62D2425217ABF63005076CC /* UserActivityType.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = UserActivityType.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
+		D62E9984279CA23900C26176 /* URLSession+Development.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = "URLSession+Development.swift"; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D62FF04723D7CDD700909D6E /* AttributedStringHelperTests.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = AttributedStringHelperTests.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D6311C4F25B3765B00B27539 /* ImageDataCache.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = ImageDataCache.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D6333B362137838300CE884A /* AttributedString+Helpers.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = "AttributedString+Helpers.swift"; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
@@ -1320,6 +1322,7 @@
 				D6D3F4C324FDB6B700EC4A6A /* View+ConditionalModifier.swift */,
 				D6620ACD2511A0ED00312CA0 /* StatusStateResolver.swift */,
 				D69693F32585941A00F4E116 /* UIWindowSceneDelegate+Close.swift */,
+				D62E9984279CA23900C26176 /* URLSession+Development.swift */,
 			);
 			path = Extensions;
 			sourceTree = "<group>";
@@ -2176,6 +2179,7 @@
 				D6EBF01523C55C0900AE061B /* UIApplication+Scenes.swift in Sources */,
 				D6538945214D6D7500E3CEFC /* TableViewSwipeActionProvider.swift in Sources */,
 				D6F0B17524A3A1AA001E48C3 /* MainSidebarViewController.swift in Sources */,
+				D62E9985279CA23900C26176 /* URLSession+Development.swift in Sources */,
 				D622757424EDF1CD00B82A16 /* ComposeAttachmentsList.swift in Sources */,
 				D64AAE9526C88C5000FC57FB /* ToastableViewController.swift in Sources */,
 				D6420AEE26BED18B00ED8175 /* PublicTimelineDescriptionTableViewCell.swift in Sources */,
diff --git a/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift b/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
index b132f3d0..f9a646bf 100644
--- a/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Controllers/MastodonController.swift
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class MastodonController: ObservableObject {
     init(instanceURL: URL, transient: Bool = false) {
         self.instanceURL = instanceURL
         self.accountInfo = nil
-        self.client = Client(baseURL: instanceURL)
+        self.client = Client(baseURL: instanceURL, session: .appDefault)
         self.transient = transient
     }
     
diff --git a/Tusker/Extensions/URLSession+Development.swift b/Tusker/Extensions/URLSession+Development.swift
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c09f72fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tusker/Extensions/URLSession+Development.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+//
+//  URLSession+Development.swift
+//  Tusker
+//
+//  Created by Shadowfacts on 1/22/22.
+//  Copyright © 2022 Shadowfacts. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+import Foundation
+
+extension URLSession {
+    
+    #if targetEnvironment(simulator) && DEBUG
+    static let appDefault = URLSession(configuration: .default, delegate: Delegate(), delegateQueue: nil)
+    #else
+    static let appDefault = URLSession.shared
+    #endif
+    
+}
+
+#if targetEnvironment(simulator) && DEBUG
+private class Delegate: NSObject, URLSessionDelegate {
+    func urlSession(_ session: URLSession, didReceive challenge: URLAuthenticationChallenge, completionHandler: @escaping (URLSession.AuthChallengeDisposition, URLCredential?) -> Void) {
+        // allows testing with self-signed certificates in development
+        completionHandler(.useCredential, URLCredential(trust: challenge.protectionSpace.serverTrust!))
+    }
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Onboarding/InstanceSelectorTableViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Onboarding/InstanceSelectorTableViewController.swift
index d342bb7b..f19f34cd 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Onboarding/InstanceSelectorTableViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Onboarding/InstanceSelectorTableViewController.swift
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class InstanceSelectorTableViewController: UITableViewController {
         let components = parseURLComponents(input: domain)
         let url = components.url!
 
-        let client = Client(baseURL: url)
+        let client = Client(baseURL: url, session: .appDefault)
         let request = Client.getInstance()
         client.run(request) { (response) in
             var snapshot = self.dataSource.snapshot()